The majority of MPs voted against enabling the provision of financial incentives intended to encourage small-scale low-carbon generation of electricity to plants with a generation capacity of 10 megawatts or more (at the time of the vote assistance was only provided to plants up to 5 megawatts in capacity).

The text of the rejected amendment was:

1, page 8, line 8, at end insert—

‘( ) Section 41(4)(a) of the Energy Act 2008 (“specified maximum capacity”) is amended as follows: “Specified maximum capacity” means the capacity specified by the Secretary of State by order, which must not be less than 10 megawatts.

“specified maximum capacity” means the capacity specified by the Secretary of State by order, which must not exceed 5 megawatts;

The effect would have been to enable financial incentives (Feed In Tariffs (FITs)) to be given to small-scale low-carbon generation of electricity where the scale of generation capacity is over 10 megawatts, whereas at the time of the vote such incentives could only be given in respect of a plant with an output of up to 5 megawatts.

Had the amendment become law MPs would have been giving ministers the ability to pay incentives to any scale of generating plant they chose.

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